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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — money
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bound — obliged
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. land — a country
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. capital — a city
  13. land — ground
  14. bound — certain
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wound — an injury
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mark — a trace
  22. land — to come down
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rest — a break

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com